1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to an airless type cosmetics vessel from which a cosmetic can be discharged by the action of pushing and releasing a push button.
More particularly, the present invention relates to an airless type cosmetics vessel, from which can be discharged a cosmetic by the stepwise and continuous actions of a piston and an axial valve without any malfunctions thereof occurring during the discharge of the cosmetic from the vessel body, thus realizing reliability of a product, and which can be precisely operated while the cosmetic is being discharged because of the precise operation of a control nozzle, thus realizing operational precision and being convenient for users, and a discharge port of the nozzle of which can automatically be closed after the cosmetic has been discharged therefrom, thus preventing leakage of the cosmetic and allowing the users to safely carry the cosmetics vessel, thereby preventing the cosmetics from becoming contaminated and the quality of the cosmetic from being changed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a conventional airless type cosmetics vessel discharges a liquid (gel) cosmetic from a vessel body by operation of a pumping mechanism, the pumping mechanism being installed in a cap mounted to an upper end of the vessel body and being moved downwards by an action of a push button so as to discharge the cosmetic from the cylinder.
Airless type cosmetics vessels have been typically classified into two types.
A first type of cosmetics vessel is provided with a movable discharge port (a movable nozzle). To operate the vessel, a cap (functioning as a push button) having the discharge port therein is moved downwards, thus moving the discharge port and discharging a cosmetic from a pumping mechanism.
A second type of cosmetics vessel is provided with a fixed discharge port (fixed nozzle). To operate the vessel, a push button, which is placed next to the fixed discharge port and is movable separately from the fixed discharge port, is pushed downwards, so that a pumping mechanism is operated in conjunction with the push button, thus sucking a cosmetic therein and discharging the cosmetic therefrom through the fixed nozzle.
The movable nozzle (movable discharge port) type of cosmetics vessel is problematic in that the discharge port (nozzle) is movable upwards and downwards, so that it is almost impossible to apply a gel type cosmetic onto a precise location on the skin.
The fixed nozzle type of cosmetics vessel is advantageous in that, even when the push button is pushed downwards, the nozzle (discharge port) for discharging the gel type cosmetic does not move, so that it is possible to apply the cosmetic to a desired area on the skin without ever failing.
The present invention relates to the fixed nozzle type of cosmetics vessels.
An example of the fixed nozzle type of cosmetics vessels is an “ejection container” disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-120054 (published on May 12, 1998 and, hereinbelow, referred to simply as “related art 1”).
Related art 1 discloses a container, in which a fluid is compressed by a pump means installed in an outer container and compresses an inner container, thus discharging contents from the chamber of the inner container through an ejection port. Therefore, the container disclosed in the related art 1 is problematic in that the inner container must be made of a compressible material and the space defined between the inner container and the outer container must be sealed, and a check valve structure for maintaining the fluid compression force formed by the pump means and for preventing an undesired introduction of air into the inner container in a normal state must be provided, so that the ejection container has a complicated structure.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-278956 (published on Oct. 20, 1998) discloses a “liquid discharging container” (hereinbelow, referred to simply as “related art 2”).
Related art 2 is configured such that a liquid can be sucked and discharged both by a first elastic valve cylinder having a suction valve at the lower end of a first leg cylinder, which is vertically movable in contact with the inner circumferential surface of a small-diameter cylinder, and by a second elastic valve cylinder having a discharge valve at the lower end of a second leg cylinder, which is vertically movable and is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of a large-diameter cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylinder. Thus, when the container is repeatedly used over a lengthy period of time, the container may be deformed and watertightness thereof may be reduced, thus reducing the amount of liquid discharged therefrom.
Particularly, in the liquid discharging container, the liquid, which has been pumped up by a central pumping pipe, is discharged through a nozzle after having passed through the first and second leg cylinders of a top plate and the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the small-diameter cylinder in a zigzag passing pattern. Thus, the container is problematic in that the top plate is overloaded by pressure, so that a user must push the top plate with a large force when pushing the top plate with a hand.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-296141 (published on Nov. 10, 1998) discloses a “pump dispenser” (hereinbelow, referred to simply as “related art 3”).
Related art 3 is problematic in that an airtight piece, which protrudes from the upper end of an inner pipe of a pressing body so as to vertically move inside a nozzle pipe in an airtight state, is easily abraded, thus causing contents to leak through a space between the airtight piece and an outer pipe. Further, movement of an axial center of the pressing body is supported only by an annular protrusion provided in the upper portion of the inner surface of an outer cylinder, so that a large space is required to be provided in order to allow the axial center to move. The large space easily causes eccentric movement of the axial center of the pressing body and causes eccentric abrasion of the pressing body, thus reducing the life span of the pump dispenser.
Further, Korean Utility Model registration No. 20-311496 discloses a “dispenser vessel” (hereinbelow, referred to simply as “related art 4”).
As shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, related art 4 is configured such that a pumping stem 44 coupled to a push button 70 is moved in a vertical direction so as to open and close a check valve 30 of a cylinder 20, so that a gel type cosmetic can be discharged from the vessel through a nozzle 62 of a discharge head 60 after having passed through a central passage defined in the pumping stem 44.
However, the related art 4 is problematic in that the push button 70 is eccentrically coupled to the pumping stem 44, so that a finger operating space defined in the top of the vessel at a location around the push button 70 is too narrow. Thus, a user may not apply a pushing force to the push button 70 which is strong enough to realize the desired pumping action of the push button 70 and discharge the cosmetic from the vessel. Further, the pumping stem 44 is moved upwards and downwards by a pushing action of the push button 70, which is eccentric from the axis “O” of the pumping stem 44, so that the pumping stem 44 may not execute precise movement along the axis thereof. Thus, when the pumping stem 44 repeatedly executes the eccentric upward and downward movement over a lengthy period of time, an eccentric abrasion may be formed in the pumping stem and cause the cosmetic to leak through the eccentrically abraded part of the pumping stem 44. Further, due to the eccentric arrangement of the push button 70 relative to the pumping stem 44, an eccentric load acts on the junction between the pumping stem 44 and the push button 70, so that the junction may be easily deformed. In the above state, the push button 70 may create noises during the pushing operation and may fail to execute a smooth pushing action.
Further, in related art 4, when the piston rod 40 and the pumping stem 44 are moved upwards, the gel type cosmetic can be sucked into the cylinder 20 by an action of the check valve 30. When the piston rod 40 and the pumping stem 44 are moved downwards, the cosmetic flows upwards both through an outlet port 42 of the piston rod 40 and through the central passage of the pumping stem 44 prior to being discharged from the vessel through the nozzle 62. Thus, related art 4 is problematic in that a high pushing pressure must be applied to the push button and furthermore because a return spring 24 of the check valve 30, as a result of being repeatedly compressed in a state in which the cosmetic has been sucked into and contained in the cylinder 20, may lose elasticity, so that the spring 24 may fail to elastically move the push button 70 upwards and the operational reliability of the product is reduced.
Further, in the same manner as was described in related arts 1, 2 and 3, related art 4 is configured such that the sucked cosmetic must be pumped upwards through the central passage of the pumping stem 44 according to a downward moving distance of the piston rod 40 and the pumping stem 44, prior to being discharged from the vessel. Thus, a high pushing force must be applied onto the piston rod 40 and the pumping stern 44 in order to discharge the cosmetic.
In an effort to solve the problem of related art 4, Korean. Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-40633 (published on Apr. 27, 2009) discloses a “pump for liquid cosmetic receptacle” (hereinbelow, referred to simply as “related art 5”).
As shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings, related art 5 comprises a pump body 10 having a cylinder 11 and a discharge passage 14a, and a valve body 30 having an inner valve part 32 and an outer valve part 35. The inner and outer valve parts 32 and 35 oppositely open and close respective passages according to an operation of a pump piston 22, which is operated in conjunction with the operation of a push button 23.
In the related art 5, the pump piston 22 coupled to the push button 23 is provided with a sealing skirt part functioning as a piston, so that the cosmetic can be sucked into an intermediate storage chamber (cylinder chamber) 11b of the cylinder 11 by upward movement of the pump piston 22 and can be discharged from the cylinder chamber by compressing the cylinder 11.
When the push button 23 in the related art 5 is pushed downwards, the valve body 30 and the pump piston 22 are simultaneously moved downwards, so that the inner valve part 32 closes a cosmetic inlet port 34 formed in the lower end of the cylinder chamber (intermediate storage chamber) 11b. Further, in the above state, the discharge passage 14a, which was closed by the outer valve part 35, is opened and the cosmetic is discharged under pressure from the cylinder chamber 11b through the nozzle hole of a nozzle 14.
Described in brief, when the pump piston 22 in related art 5 is elastically moved upwards by a restoring spring 24, the cosmetic contained in a vessel body 201 is sucked into the cylinder chamber 11b. When the pump piston 22 is pushed downwards and compresses the cylinder chamber 11b, the cosmetic can be discharged under pressure from the cylinder chamber 11b through the nozzle 14.
However, related art 5 is problematic in that, during upward movement of the pump piston 22, a suction force is applied both to the cosmetic contained in the discharge passage 14a and to the cosmetic contained in the vessel body 201 within a time interval between the time the discharge passage 14a is closed by the outer valve part 35 and the time the cosmetic inlet port 34 of the inner valve part 32 opens. Further, during downward movement of the pump piston 22, a compression force for discharging the cosmetic is applied both to the cosmetic in the discharge passage 14a and to the cosmetic in the vessel body 201 within a time interval between the time of closing the cosmetic inlet port 34 by the inner valve part 32 and the time the discharge passage 14a by the outer valve part 35 opens. In other words, even when the push button 23 is pushed downwards and is elastically moved upwards, the pump of related art 5 cannot execute a precise cosmetic suction and discharge operation.
Brief described, related art 5 is problematic in that the action of the push button 23 cannot realize a precise cosmetic suction and discharge operation, so that it is almost impossible to use related art 5 practically.
Further, related art 5 is not provided with a safety unit for preventing the cosmetic from leaking through the discharge passage after the gel type cosmetic has been discharged through the discharge port (nozzle), so that, when the cosmetic vessel is carried in a handbag by a user after having used the vessel, the gel type cosmetic may be discharged from the discharge passage, thus contaminating both the interior of the handbag and the interior of the cosmetic vessel.
Further, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-282746 (registered on Jul. 23, 2002 and, hereinbelow, referred to simply as “related art 6”) discloses an “apparatus for opening and shutting nozzle of cosmetic case”, in which, after a gel type cosmetic has been discharged through a nozzle, the discharge port of the nozzle is closed, thus realizing safe carrying of the cosmetics vessel.
The related art 6 proposes a nozzle control means, which comprises a spring-biased tip valve provided in a nozzle pipe having a nozzle hole such that the tip valve is normally biased forwards by a spring. To operate, a cosmetic is compressed by actuating a push button and then flows under pressure into the nozzle pipe, thus compressing the spring, which has elastically biased the tip valve forwards and has closed the nozzle hole. When the spring is compressed backwards, the tip valve is moved backwards and opens the nozzle hole.
However, related art 6 is problematic in that the spring used for elastically biasing the tip valve is a metal compression spring, so that the cosmetic is in contact with the metal spring, thus causing the quality of the cosmetic to change. Further, when the apparatus is repeatedly used over a lengthy period of time, the thin metal spring may lose elasticity and be made to malfunction. In the above state, the spring fails to reliably open or close the nozzle hole.
Further, related art 6 uses a movable nozzle instead of a fixed nozzle and is configured such that the nozzle pipe moves in conjunction with the operation of the push button and discharges the cosmetic. Thus, the apparatus of related art 6 may fail to discharge the cosmetic onto a precise area of the skin of a user.
Particularly, in related art 6, the cosmetic, which was compressed by the action of the push button, flows upwards through a narrow outlet passage defined between the piston and the piston valve, and the spring is compressed backwards by the pressure of the cosmetic, thus opening the nozzle hole and discharging the cosmetic through the nozzle pipe. Therefore, a strong pushing force must be used on the push button of related art 6, thus reducing the operational reliability of the apparatus.